The Knicks are now without Amar’e and Carmelo
Let’s take another trip back in our NBA Time Machine. The year is 2011 and the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets have just agreed to a trade that would send Carmelo Anthony to the Big Apple in exchange for a package including Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton and Danilo Gallinari. This deal would team Anthony up with longtime friend Amar’e Stoudemire, as they hoped to become the next great duo in the NBA.
But this wasn’t the case. The two forwards never looked comfortable sharing the court, and after stripping the team of most of their young talent and draft picks, the rest of the Knicks struggled. The talented pair only played in 184 games together in nearly four full seasons, winning a measly 38% of those games.
Now flash forward to 2015. Stoudemire announced earlier this week that he has reached a buyout agreement with the Knicks, ending his nearly five-year run with the team. He is on his way down to Dallas as yet another project for Rick Carlisle. Anthony has also announced that he will be having surgery on his knee in the near future, effectively ending his season. The Knicks currently sit at 10-43, good enough for the worst record in the league. Phil Jackson knew that he had his hands full when he took over as President of the Knicks, but I doubt he could have projected his first full season would go quite like this.
With the All-Star break having passed, and games having resumed, let’s take a look at some of the other injuries around the league and the fantasy impact they carry.
Out
Blake Griffin – PF, Clippers – No timetable for return (Elbow)
Griffin had successful surgery on the ninth to remove the staph infection from his elbow, but doctors still do not have a clear timetable for his return. He is expected to miss roughly another two weeks, but that is only an estimate. Griffin missed the team’s last three games before the break, but had played well in February. The forward was averaging 18.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists while shooting over 50 percent from the field. With Griffin sidelined fantasy owners should expect more production from Spencer Hawes and Matt Barnes. Barnes has played over 30 minutes in the three games Griffin has missed, and Hawes scored in double-digits in two of those games.
Jrue Holiday – PG, New Orleans – Will be reevaluated in three weeks (Leg)
Holiday, who had missed the Pelicans previous 16 games with a lower leg injury, aggravated the ailment on Monday, and is now expected to miss at least another three weeks. New Orleans is holding it together during Holiday’s absence, going 9-7 so far, but the Pelicans are clearly slipping. They are currently a game behind Oklahoma City in the standings, and a game and a half behind Phoenix for the final playoff spot. The point guard position has been somewhat of a disaster since Holiday was sidelined. Toney Douglas, Jimmer Fredette and Tyreke Evans have all tried to lead the offense, but without a real point guard the offense seems to be missing a beat. Fantasy owners should expect this trio to continue getting time at point, but Evans is really the only one worth owning at this point.
Bradley Beal – SG, Wizards – Day-to-day (Toe)
Beal will not be ready to go for Friday’s game against Cleveland according to David Aldridge of NBA.com. Beal, who has missed Washington’s last three games with a serious toe injury, has seen improvement with the ailment, and he is hoping to return to the court in the very near future. Fantasy owners should expect to see more of Otto Porter Jr and Garrett Temple with Beal on the shelf, but I would not add either of these guys in any league.
Returning From Injury
Anthony Davis – PF, Pelicans – Expected to return Friday (Shoulder)
Davis looks ready to return to the court after a scary fall against Chicago more than a week ago. He missed the team’s last two games before the break, and he did not participate in any events during All-Star Weekend. But hopefully the time off did the young forward some good. Davis has continued to play out of his mind in recent weeks, putting up 26.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.6 steals per game over his last seven.
Dwyane Wade – SF, Heat – Expected to return Friday (Hamstring)
Wade, who has missed the Heat’s last seven games due to a hamstring injury, is expected to return to the court Friday night against New York. The Heat went 2-5 in those seven games, and desperately need Wade’s scoring and ball-handling abilities back in the lineup. Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole have proven time and time again that they cannot handle the point. Miami is currently holding onto the eighth seed in the East, tied with Charlotte and a game ahead of Brooklyn in the standings. With Wade, Chris Bosh, Luol Deng, and Hassan Whiteside, Miami has a very good shot at making the playoffs. But if Wade cannot get past this injury, it could be a lost season for the team who has been to four straight NBA Championships.
Rajon Rondo – PG, Mavericks – Expected to return Friday (Face)
Rondo went down after a scary moment against Orlando where teammate Richard Jefferson accidentally kicked him in the face, breaking his orbital bone and his nose in the process. Rondo has missed Dallas’ last six games, but the exciting guard seems ready to return to action. He will be wearing a mask over the next few weeks, but other than that there should be no setbacks. Rondo is averaging 9.2 points, 6.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game since joining the Mavericks earlier this year.
Andrew Chambers is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Andrew, check out his archive and follow him @beardedsports8.
